Page 69 of Gator

“I’ll watch him, Marabella,” Juju offered.

Leaning forward, she looked at Wade. “Tell me the son of a bitch is dead?”

“Jus’ waitin’ to hear from Braveheart and Thore.”

“Good boys.” Marabella smiled, leaning back in her chair. “I knew their mommas raised them right.”

We all heard the back door open and turned to see Braveheart walk in with a young girl, no older than ten years old, but it was Thore, who brought up the rear, that had all of us slowly standing.

Behind Braveheart, Thore carried two little boys, no older than three years old, in his arms.

I vaguely heard Marabella gasp as she rushed over to the small boys.

Walking over to the young girl, I smiled. “My name is Devlyn.”

“I’m Emmeline. Is Eliot here?”

“Yes,Bébé,” Wade said, kneeling before her. “He’s upstairs resting.”

“Dad hurt him,” the girl sniffed. “He was gonna kill him.”

“Ain’t no one ever gonna hurt your brother again. I promise you that.”

The little girl jumped at Wade, wrapping her arms around his neck as she cried. Slowly standing with her in his arms, he rubbed her back soothingly as he looked at Braveheart, who looked ready to tear the world apart with his bare hands.

Thore cleared his voice and spoke, “When we got there, we could hear the kids screaming, boss. Made a mess. Had to burn the place.”

Braveheart nodded grimly, his usual stoic demeanor shadowed by something darker. “We found them in the back of the house, locked inside a tiny closet. It didn’t take much to break the lock, but they were terrified. He terrorized them, boss.”

“Go walk it off, brother. They are safe now,” Wade said, still holding the little girl.

Braveheart said nothing more as he walked out of the bar.

Brushing her hair back from Emmeline’s face, I asked, “Sweetie, where is your mom?”

“She’s dead. Rémy and René’s momma ran away after they were born.”

Wade’s jaw clenched as he gently set the little girl down on a barstool and handed her a soda from behind the counter. “You’re safe now, Emmeline,” he assured her, his voice low and steady as he crouched to look her in the eyes. “We’ll figure this out, okay?”

“Can we stay with Eliot?” her sweet, innocent voice whispered.

Looking at Wade, I shook my head. “Eliot’s in no condition to care for his siblings, Wade. What are we going to do?”

“I know what I’m going to do,” Marabella firmly said. “I’m taking these babies home with me and tomorrow, you boys will bring Eliot home where he belongs.”

“Môman,”Wade slowly shook his head.

“No.” The stubborn woman held firm, glaring at her son as her eyes welled up with unshed tears. “You will not change my mind, Wade Montague Crawley. I’ve grieved and grieved for years. I’ve begged God to help me understand why he took Skeeter and my boy from me, and for years, all I’ve felt is this hollow emptiness where my heart should be. Your dad and brother will always be a part of me, Son, but these babies. They need me. They really need me. Please understand. No one willever replace your dad and brother, but I’ve got this hole in my heart that’s just sitting empty. I need to fill it. Please let me fill it.”

Marabella’s words rang through the bar like a solemn vow, her unwavering gaze fixed on her son. Wade opened his mouth to argue but stopped short, the tension in his jaw betraying the conflict of emotions he felt. There was love in his eyes, but also concern, a war between protecting his family and respecting his mother’s determination.

Emmeline, clutching the soda can with her tiny hands, looked up at Marabella with a glimmer of hope. “Do you really mean it?” she asked softly, her voice trembling as though she didn’t dare believe the kindness offered to her.

Marabella kneeled down, placing her hands gently on the little girl’s shoulders. “I mean it with all my heart, sugar,” she said, her voice warm but firm. “You and your brothers deserve a home where you’re safe and loved, and I’m going to make sure you have it.”

Wade ran a hand through his hair, sighing deeply. “Môman, this isn’t just about filling some space in your heart. These kids have been through hell. Taking them in—it’s a lifetime commitment.”

“And what better commitment could I make?” Marabella shot back, her expression softening slightly as she stood to face him. “I’ll leave the patchwork of vengeance and justice to you boys. My job is to love and protect. I did it for you, didn’t I?”

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